History of sport in Singapore : exclusivity, hegemony, and the Young Men's Christian Association

Abstract

The Singapore sporting system is an enduring export of British colonialism, the games played, the codification of rules, the moral values of sport, and the idea of competition and entertainment in sport. Britain’s colonialism of Singapore in 1819 saw the arrival of British governance, their practices, values, and systems. One of their main cultural imports was western sport, which was held in high regard by the British. As such, they were determined to retain control over sport, its practices and institutions, introducing racialised and class-based segregations to sport. These segregations would become entrenched in Singaporean society from British colonial rule, to the Japanese Occupation and during independence. The essay shall focus specifically on the Young Men’s Christian Association across these periods, its history, initiatives, and motives, showing the counterculture and forward-looking nature of the organisation and its leadership in challenging these British imposed distinctions, and being in accordance with the goals of the ruling government. The history of sport in Singapore has shown the exclusive to public nature of sport, and that sport was used as a tool by the powerful to exercise control over others.